MONDAY, 2 JUNE 2008Business career headstart for Macksville school studentMacksville student starts working towards her HSC Last week, Macksville High student Samantha Ryan signed up for an innovative business traineeship with local community credit union, BCU. Last week, Macksville High student Samantha Ryan signed up for an innovative business traineeship with local community credit union, BCU. For this Year 11 student, it’s a fantastic opportunity to combine paid work with study. Sam will work part-time one day a week at BCU for a minimum of 100 days over the next 18 months, and the on-the-job training and work experience she will receive will count towards a Certificate II in Business Services as well as form part of her HSC. The traineeship is part of a school-based traineeship offered through Macksville High with funding from state and federal agencies. It is designed to give students real-world experience while they are studying and to integrate the theoretical with the practical. Samantha’s off-the-job training is delivered by Tony Waters at Macksville High School in a VET subject called Business Services and is part of her HSC program. 'This is where school-based traineeships work best’ said Celestine Porter-Burns, Careers Adviser at Macksville High, ‘In Sam, we have an excellent candidiate and BCU is a local employer with a comitment to quality training and the community.’ For BCU, Samantha’s traineeship is an investment in the local community. ‘BCU started in Macksville in 1970 and we draw our staff from the local community. It’s part of our success. Our focus has always been on offering our members the best in personal, local service,’ said Tracey Cheers, BCU’s Human Resources Officer. Samantha’s time will be spread across a number of divisions within BCU – technology, Admin, HR and Finance – giving her a comprehensive insight into business operations within the credit union. BCU currently has over 40 trainees working in various areas across the credit union. ‘BCU has 21 branches between Port Macquarie and the Gold Coast,’ said Ms Cheers, ‘With so many trainees, it’s a heavy investment in local recuitment. Our staff are one of our greatest assets and we know it pays off to invest in training local students such as Samantha because it means we attract and retain the best staff.’ Sam’s example shows the career opportunities that can be created for local students when local, state and federal agencies join forces. Macksville High School, the NSW Department of Education and Training and the Australian Apprenticeship Scheme have all contributed to the traineeship.  For more information, contact: |